Reinout van der Bijl
Reinout Alfons van der Bijl (7 May 1918 - 22 February 2001) was a Brunanter historian and archaeologist, best known for his restore works in various castles. Van der Bijl wrote several history books, many of which are used in the universities today. He served as the curator of the State Museum from 1977 until 1981 and in 1985, he received the Medal for Arts and Letters. Biography Early years Van der Bijl was born in Sint-Anders. His father, Gerlof, was a teacher, while his mother, Irena, was working in her brother's grocery. He was the second of three children, as he had two more sisters (Annemarie, 1916-1996; Felicia, 1921-1998). Gerlof passed his love for history to his son. Reinout often recalled his father narrating stories of the Brunanter history, as well as ancient Greek and Roman myths. In 1936, van der Bijl was sent to study archaeology at the Grijzestad University and he finished his studies in 1941, just before the German invasion. During the occupation, he hid some Jews in his home, but he never became an active member of Underground Revolution. With the end of the war, van der Bijl studied history at the Royal University of Koningstad and in 1950, he got a job as a teacher in Grunbeck. Restore projects and excavations The first time Reinout was involved to archaeology was in 1952. He worked with an experienced team in 1955, renovating Vandijk Castle, which would become a museum two years later. In the late 1950s, he was involved in the restoration of the Byzantine temple of Niesburg and at the same time, he was working on his first book, The Arabian Heritage of Brunant. From 1966 until 1970, van der Bijl participated in the restoration of Brezonde Castle, which increased his reputation among the academics. In 1972, van der Bijl was hired to renovate the Gatix Castle, but the project did not even start. Now considered an important archaeologist, he was appointed curator of the State Museum in 1977. Reinout managed to bring in Brunant many ancient coins, all of them now in Currency Hall. His commitments, however, did not let him focus on active archaeology, so he resigned in 1981. In the period 1982-1983, he led minor excavations at Zatram, where he came up with insignificant findings. His overall efforts were acknowledged by the state in 1985, when he received the Medal for Arts and Letters by King Marten II. In 1989, he co-operated with American archaeologists, leading an excavation around Villa Fulvia; he found some ancient objects, many of which are now in the State Museum. In 1994, van der Bijl intended to start excavations in each of the Seven Cities, but financial difficulties cancelled the project. Final years Despite being a healthy man throughout his life, van der Bijl's health his health deteriorated during the late 1990s. He checked into a hospital for an aortic dissection in January 2001. The very next month, he suffered a stroke, thus ending his life. Bibliography *1959 - The Arabian Heritage of Brunant *1967 - From the Romans to the Arabians *1978 - Everyday life in Roman Brunant *1983 - The Castles of Brunant *1989 - Memoirs of a Centurion *1992 - Byzantine Brunant *1995 - The Brunanter Identity (with Gion Viatger) Category:Historians Category:Dead people Category:Medal for Arts and Letters recipients Category:Writers Category:Archaeologists Category:Grijzestad University alumni Category:1918 births Category:Royal University of Koningstad alumni